


Episode 1 - Luna's Passion

by studioLOUD



Series: The Loud House (AU) [1]
Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 15:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20428145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/studioLOUD/pseuds/studioLOUD
Summary: Luna decides to confess her feelings for Sam personally and chooses to do so using a song. She is having problems, however, translating her feelings into words and seeks out advice from her siblings. There is also a long term subplot involving Lucy.





	1. Luna Needs Help

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

It was a brilliant Friday evening, and the school had not long released for the day. While the sun was shining down upon the entire town, Luna raced home, let her book-bag slide off her shoulder, and left it by the front door. Heading straight upstairs, she grabbed her guitar, plugged it in, turned on her amp, and started banging away.

Luan walked in moments later carrying a small clutch of books and binders in front of her. After setting the collection upon her desk, Luan promptly sat on her bed, which was opposite Luna's.

"What are you working on?", asked Luan, shifting slightly to one side and putting her weight on one arm.

Luna stopped playing and looked up. "Well," she said sheepishly. "I plan to tell Sam how I feel this weekend, and I thought there was no better way than with a song. I'm doing alright with the riff, but I'm having problems with the lyrics." She paused and let Luan digest this before continuing. "I just can't put my feelings into words. Do you think you could help?"

Luan let out her trademark cackling laugh as if Luna had just told the funniest joke in the entire world. "That's the treble with love. Have you tried taking notes on how you feel first and bass your lyrics on that?"  
"Luan...", Luna objected, "...now is not the time for humor. I'm serious here."

"Well fine then, if you don't want my help, you can jump off a clef!", spat the younger comedienne as she left cackling.

The twins, Lola and Lana, had just come home and had ascended the stairs, hearing the tail end of the exchange. Lola, who always wanted to be the center of attention, spoke first as they both peered into Luna's room, "What was that all about?"

Lola's question was immediately followed by Lana's query, "Yeah, what's up with the ruckus dude?"

Luna once again explained the situation, though she doubted the two children would be able to help. She obliged them anyway, "Got any ideas?" she inquired.

Lola emitted a puffing sound before answering. "Is that all? Listen, every girl wants to hear that she's pretty, so tell her that! Allow me to demonstrate," Lola offered as she backed up a tiny bit.

Inhaling deeply, Lola then let out the most horrendous string of off-tune syllables possible. "OH, SAM! LOVE YOU! YOU ARE PRETTY! LA, LA, LA! SO LET'S DATE AND STUFF!"

Luna had cut her off with a wave of her hand. "That's good and all, but it doesn't quite capture what I'm feeling. What about you, Lana?"

"Uh dude," said Lana in her slightly gruff voice, "I wouldn't bother with it at all, honestly. I don't have time for stuff like that. There are toilets to unclog for Pete's sake. Speaking of which, I need to get busy. People are going to be lining up soon."

Lola followed her sister out the door, fussing about how her only twin just had to be the gross one.

A few moments later, Lucy, her younger goth sibling passed by the door, presumably on her way to the restroom. "Hey Lucy," Luna called, "got a minute?"

Lucy backed up and peered into the room. In her usual monotonic droll, she replied, "Maybe."

"I need some help with a song, and I know you're always writing poetry. Can you lend a hand?"

"Of course," Lucy said, "though I am not sure you will find my tastes suitable."

"Oh, come on," was Luna's reply, encouraging Lucy, "give it a try!" She then explained, for the third time, what she was trying to do.  
The tiny dark-haired girl walked in and sat down cross-legged on the floor, pulled a journal from her pocket, and found a specific page. "You can't just tell her that you love her, that's too direct. You have to describe your feelings first, including how you'd feel if she doesn't feel the same way. Here, let me read you a passage." She then begins reading.

"Alone in the dark,  
my soul calls your name,  
you appear for an instant,  
as a flickering flame.  
When you are close,  
you fill me with vim,  
but when you are gone,  
my world grows dim.  
It is in these times,  
I miss you so much,  
it feels like a boulder,  
a bone rending crush.  
Please don't ever go,  
and leave me this way,  
for I fear if you do,  
my death comes today."

"Wow, that was deep, dude," said Luna in awe. "I think you're right, but I don't think she'd appreciate the darker images. Thanks for the attempt though."

Lucy merely replied, "Sigh, it's alright. Nobody ever takes me seriously anyway." Lucy mumbled as she stood, clutched her journal, and left the room to join the forming line for the restroom.

Luna was alone again, left to her thoughts. "Who in the world could Lucy be pining over?" Luna thought. "There's no way she'd write something that powerful on a whim." She placed her guitar in its stand and began to go over her options.

"Oh, I know, I'll see if Lisa has any ideas. She may not have much experience in love, but she's smart." Luna stood and straightened her skirt before heading out of her door and making a sharp left. After passing Lucy and Lynn's room, she came to Lisa's, on the left-hand side of the hallway. It was already open just a bit, so she assumed it was safe.

Poking her head inside Lisa's room without knocking was a big mistake. No sooner had the door swung open Luna got hit with a small puff of an explosion and a foul-smelling gas.

"I'm sorry Luna," Lisa lisped out, "You should knock, though. I was completing an experiment." Then, after a short pause to assess the aftermath, "Failing more accurately."

The smelly green gas continued to spread as it dissipated throughout the upper floor. Groans and complaints became audible from the line outside the only restroom in the house.

"Never-mind, I see your busy" grumbled Luna, holding her nose with one hand and clearing her eyes with the other. "Dude, that reeks!" Luna quickly backed out of the room and closed the door firmly behind her.

"Well, I only have a few choices left," she thought to herself, "Maybe Lori or Leni can help. Lori has been dating Bobby for years, and Leni has a new crush every other day."

She made her way to the room where Lori and Leni bunked, back down the hall, opposite her own. Thinking about her last experience, Luna decided to knock this time.

"Come in," wafted from within the room, in an excellent mood.  
The rock and roller opened the door and stepped inside to see Leni at her sewing machine, designing another new masterpiece of the fashion world, and Lori stretched out on her bed, phone held high and fingers moving with blazing speed.

"O.k. boo-boo-bear," Lori said, "I look forward to it, but right now my sister needs me. Later!"

Upon hearing this, Leni stopped her work and turned towards Luna as well, "What's up sis?"

Luna took place on Lori's bed, somewhat ruffling the covers, and though she'd lost count of how many times she'd explained things, she added one more to the list. "I'm starting to get desperate here!"

"Listen, Luna," Lori said as she moved closer to her sister, put her arm around her, and pulled her into a sideways hug, "I don't know what to say. I've been with Bobby so long that I don't remember exactly how it all started. I wish I could help. We immediately clicked. It was magical." Lori drifted off into dreamland, thinking of Bobby.

Leni was the next to speak, "Well, I don't know too much about it. Guys ask me out, and I say either yes or no. I'm sorry, I can't help more. This song sounds like it's important to you. Perhaps I could make a new outfit for you?"

Luna stood, readying herself to leave, "it's o.k. dudes, thanks anyway." She then promptly existed Lori's room. "That just leaves Lynn," she muttered to herself, then headed off to find her.

Lynn was in the kitchen, making a raw egg protein shake when Luna finally located her. "Hey Lynn, I don't suppose you have any advice for writing personal love song lyrics do you?"

As Luna explained, Lynn drank the entire beverage in five large gulps then wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Nah bro," she said, "nor do I have time. I'm getting ready to leave for football practice."

"Oh," replied Luna dejectedly before turning to go back to writing her song in her room. She didn't make it one step, however, before running into Lucy. "Oof, I'm sorry, Lucy."

"It's o.k.", came the reply, "I'm used to it." She tilted her head to one side for a moment before continuing, "I managed to overhear that you're still looking for assistance. Maybe you should try Lincoln. He's a great help to me when I have problems with my poetry."

"Sure, man," mused Luna, "but he's a dude. What would he know about how a girl feels?"

"He's more intuitive than you give him credit for," Lucy mumbled out. She then went about her business, grabbed a snack, and headed back upstairs. Luna stood there, momentarily perplexed. "Well," the musician thought, "it's better than nothing." Recomposing herself, she headed upstairs.


	2. Lincoln to the Rescue

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Luna ascended the stairs slowly, taking one step at a time, and considered her options. Each of her sisters had given their input — however, none of the advice she had received particularly satisfied her.

The only sibling left to approach was Lincoln, but he was male. She wasn't confident that he would truly understand how she felt. Still, he had been of great help to her and her sisters over the years. Sighing, she decided that she would give him a chance.

She stood outside the door to Lincoln's room for a moment, listening intently and preparing herself. The faint sounds of pages turning came from within, clueing her into what her younger brother was doing. Softly, she knocked on the door and called out, "Lincoln, do you have a moment?"

"Sure," came the reply, "come on in."

Luna turned the knob and opened the door. Stepping inside, she saw that Lincoln was reading his Ace Savvy comics. Lincoln neatly put his comics away, propped himself up with a pillow, and motioned for Luna to take a seat.

"So, what can I help you with Luna?" he inquired.

Luna prepared herself. She had never really discussed romance with Lincoln before and was unsure where to start. "I'm not quite certain," she announced. "I've decided on telling Sam how I feel, through song, but I've become overwhelmed with all the emotions. The lyrics are not coming."

"I see," acknowledged Lincoln. "What have you tried so far?"

"Well," his older sister began, "I am nearly through with the musical part of the song. It has high energy, but not so much that it detracts from sincerity. I even have a great melody for it. When I try to put my feelings on paper, though, that's when things begin to fall apart."

"Hm," the white-haired boy mused, "so it isn't merely a problem with rhyming then?"

"That's right, Linc," she stated. "Do you have any advice for me?"

Lincoln considered Luna and her situation for a moment, occasionally thinking about how he felt about Ronnie Anne, his girlfriend. The two weren't so much a couple, as they had both decided that neither was ready. Instead, they agreed to appear as dating to avoid social pressures. Still, she did make him happy, and he enjoyed being around her.

"I assume you've already talked to our sisters, right?" he asked, looking for more information.

"Yes I have," she offered, "though the answers were pretty much one would've expected from them. They each went to extremes, in their preferred styles and personalities. None of which seemed like something I would say." Luna briefly described her encounters when questioning their other siblings.

Lincoln shifted his position, leaning forward and supported his head with his right arm. He appeared lost in thought for a moment before replying. "Maybe you approached the entire project wrong from the beginning. You write a song, and now you're trying to fit the lyrics into the time and melody you already have. You should try to forget about the song and melody, and write the words first. Adjusting your music afterward seems like a much easier task."

"You're right, bro. That makes total sense," Luna said with the beginning of a smile. "But what should I say?"

"I'm afraid I cannot help there," the boy stated. "All I can do is tell you what I might say. What you write, however, is, and always has been, entirely up to you. In the past, you have written your songs with emotion that comes from your heart. For me to tell you what to write would be a terrible disservice. Just begin writing. You can always edit things and move things around if it doesn't sound right at first."

"I suppose I could try that," the musician said. "but what tone should I take?"

"Songs usually have three verses, right? Why not try writing them as past, present, and future?" Lincoln suggested. "You could write about how you felt during each. The first verse could detail how you felt before you met. The second verse could tell her how she made you feel. Lastly, the third verse could share your desires for the future. Your song would have both lows and highs, as well as realizations and expectations."

Luna threw herself around Lincoln, taking him off guard, and swallowing him whole in a sisterly embrace. "Oh, thank you, Lincoln!" she exclaimed. "But I can still come to you for rhyming assistance though, right?"

"Of course, Luna," Lincoln said as he recovered from Luna's hug. "I'm always here for you guys."

Luna stood with a big grin, and left her brother's room, closing the door behind her. Lincoln had just gone back to reading the latest issue of his favorite comic when he heard a faint sound coming from the air duct. Lincoln sighed. He concluded that Lucy was eavesdropping again.

"We're done now, Lucy," he calmly said. "You can go back to skulking."

Lincoln's curiosity became piqued when he heard no further sound from the duct. That was not normal. Usually, she scampered away upon finishing her business.

He stood, sighed again, and pulled a nearby chair up to the wall. Hoisting himself onto the chair, he peered into the vent. From inside, he could hear soft sobbing.

"What's wrong, Lucy," he asked. "Are you alright? Why don't you come down from there and we'll talk."

"No," came the reply. "I like it better here in the dark, where nobody can see me."

"That might be, but I can hear you crying. I need to know why so I can help." Lincoln offered.

"It's just that Luna is so filled with passion," admitted Lucy. "She has somebody that she loves and has the strength to tell them. That's something I will never know."

"Stay where you are. I'm coming in," said Lincoln before removing the grating on the vent and climbing in. It was a tighter squeeze than he remembered, but he was younger in previous attempts. He scooted in, close to Lucy, leaning against the duct wall.

"Lucy," he began, "you're only eight. There's plenty of time to find somebody. The right person will come along. Have patience. Ronnie Anne and I aren't exactly lovebirds. We only agreed to be a couple to avoid social pressures. I mean, we like each other, but not seriously."

Unseen by Lincoln, Lucy smiled for once.

"Besides," he continued, "what about Edwin?"

Lucy's smiled faded a little. "Lincoln, I'm not dumb. Edwin is a character on a television show. He isn't real, and the actor is way too old."

Lincoln was mildly confused. Lucy had been toting around a bust of Edwin for years, proclaiming undying love for the fictional vampire. "Uh," he stammered, "I'm not sure I understand. What's the deal with the bust then?"

"Sigh," Lucy pouted. "Edwin is just a placeholder."

"A placeholder," asked Lincoln, "what do you mean?"

"A stand-in, Lincoln, for the person I truly love," she explained.

"I didn't realize you had these kinds of feelings for anybody, Lucy," admitted Lincoln. "If I had, I wouldn't have made fun of you in the past. But why don't you tell this person how you feel? You are great at writing poetry, and I bet he'd love to hear from you!"

Lucy let out a prolonged, verbal sigh. "I don't know. It would be incredibly awkward and might change things more than you realize."

"I see," observed Lincoln. "Well, all I can do is be here for you. If you ever want to talk further, my room is only a duct away."

He leaned closer to his sister and gave her a one-armed hug. "Everything will turn out alright. I promise. Now, come along. It's almost time for dinner."

Lincoln exited first, then offered a hand to Lucy, who was clumsily making her way out. Lucy stood before her brother for a moment before rising to her toe tips and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being such a great brother."

Lincoln blushed slightly and replied, "It was nothing Lucy. Now let's go eat."

As Lucy opened the door and headed out, the two of them were engulfed in the aroma of Lynn Senior's famous lasagna, or "Lynnsagna" as he called it. Lincoln followed Lucy out into the hallway, and as Lucy was turning to descend the stair, he said, "Hey Lucy, I'm going to check on Luna. I'll be right down."

He made his way down the hall to his sister's room and knocked softly before calling, "Hey Luna; it's time for dinner. Will you be there?"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot," she called out. "I'll be right there."

Lynn, Lola, and Lana chose that moment to bustle past Lincoln, making him nearly lose his balance. "Hey, watch out! Save some for the rest of us!"

Luna emerged from her room just as Lori and Leni opened their door as well. All three of them sniffed the scent rising from the story below. "Yay!" exclaimed Leni. "I love dad's lasagna!"

"Me too!" said Lori and Luna in unison.

As the foursome walked down to the dining room, Lincoln decided to ask Luna how things were going. "So, how is the writing going, Luna? Got anything usable yet?"

"Yeah, bro!" she cheered. "I'll show you later when I am through with it.'

Entering the dining room, Luna, Lori, and Leni took their usual seats at the grown-up table. Lincoln continued towards the kitchen, where he and his younger siblings had seats at a table of their own. Lola and Lana were already arguing over second helpings, and Lisa, who had arrived early, was contemplating thirds.

"Hey, Lisa," Lincoln said over the din, "if you get thirds, I won't get seconds. That's not fair."

"I suppose you are correct, older brother," Lisa acknowledged as she set the piece she was attempting to acquire back in the tray.

Lynn, having eaten her meal in record time, walked through the kitchen, to place the dishes in the sink, when she addressed her only brother. "So, Lincoln, what exactly did you say to Luna? She hasn't stopped talking since she sat down. I don't think she has eaten one bite! I so totally won!"

"Yeah," concurred Lola. "What did you talk about anyway? Who would've thought you could advise on love!", she laughed before making kissy faces.

"No, no, it's not like that," replied Lincoln from behind a slight blush. "I just helped her focus. That's all."

"Oh," Lola said flatly. "That's boring."

"What I want to know is why Lucy was there too!" exclaimed Lana in her gruff voice.

Lucy's head dipped slightly to hide her face. "I wasn't there for that. It was something else."

"Oh, really!" shouted Lana in excitement as she reached over and brushed Lucy's medium-length black hair from her face. "I'd say! Look, she's blushing! Lucy has a crush!"

Lucy smacked Lana's hand away, stood in a huff, and ran out of the room without saying a word.

"That was mean, Lana," Lincoln stated. "You really shouldn't tease her like that. One day, you'll get a crush too, and your actions will come back to haunt you."

"I suppose I hadn't thought about that," Lana said in retrospect.

They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence, one by one getting up to place their dishes in the sink. Lincoln was the last to finish. As he put his plates on the counter, he thought about how mean Lana had been to Lucy and decided to look for her.

Lincoln checked the cellar, the dark corner in the attic, and every vent opening he could find. He couldn't locate her anywhere, and that worried him. Had his siblings finally pushed Lucy over the edge?

With defeat in mind, he retreated to his room. Perhaps some video gaming would take his mind off things. Unfortunately, he never got to play his games. As he entered, he noticed Lucy standing there before him, tears once again running down her cheeks.

"Why am I so different, Lincoln?" she asked through sobs. "Why am I so strange?"

Lincoln approached his sister and pulled her into a warm embrace, letting her head rest upon his shoulder. Sure, his shirt would get damp, but in a time like this, trivial things didn't matter.

"It's ok, Lucy. You're not strange. You're unique. Don't let them get to you. They're just kids," Lincoln explained. "They say things without thinking most of the time. Go ahead and cry it out."

She did, and before long began to feel heavy in Lincoln's arms. She had cried herself to sleep.

"Oh, man," Lincoln whispered to himself. "What am I going to do now?" After considering his options, he decided to place her in his bed, rather than risk waking her by carrying her down the hall, let alone attempting to situate her in the coffin she calls a bed. "Looks like it's the floor for me," he told himself as he pulled a bedroll out from under his bed.

Lincoln fell asleep listening to the faint sounds of Luna singing down the hall.


	3. Planning the Surprise

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Lincoln woke to something warm on his face. He tried opening his eyes, to see what it was, but immediately shut them again. He then remembered having gone to sleep on the floor the previous night. The sunlight was coming through his small bedroom window was shining directly on him.

He tried to stand but was held back by his bedroll. "Oh, that's right," he thought. Instead, he unzipped the bag and crawled out. He stood for a moment, trying to shake the effects of sleep, and scratched his butt. Finally remembering why he had slept on the floor in the first place, he quickly stopped scratching and turned towards his bed to wake Lucy.

She was still laying in his bed, sound asleep. He posture was the same as always, straight as a board, with her arms folded across her chest, and Lincoln's covers over her lower half. Something was different, though. He looked intently at her for a moment before realizing what it was. Lucy was smiling. It was a real smile, too, not one of those fake ones she uses for family photos. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly on occasion. Whatever she was dreaming about, it looked like she was thoroughly enjoying it.

"You know," Lincoln thought, "she is rather cute when she smiles. There's no reason she couldn't get a boyfriend if she wanted one. All she lacks is confidence." That's when he decided that after he was done helping Luna today, he would do whatever it took to boost his sister's morale. In the meantime, he thought it better if she woke on her own. He quietly donned his clothes and made his way out of his room, taking his place in the line forming for the restroom.

Lisa, Lola, and Lana were lined up in front of him. "Uhg," he mumbled, "this is going to take forever."

"Try waking up earlier," Lana said as Luna came out of her room and stood behind Lincoln.

Before Lincoln could respond, Luan emerged from the bathroom. "I'm sorry I took so long in there," she said. "I just had to 'clean up' my act." Everybody groaned.

Eventually, the line shortened, one by one. Finally, Lincoln got his turn, feeling quite revitalized afterward. As he left the restroom and headed for the kitchen, he addressed Luna, who was patiently waiting. "Hey Luna, don't forget that, after breakfast, we need to go over your song and plan things out for tonight."

"I haven't forgotten, dude," she responded. "It's the only thing on my mind right now."

"Oh," teased Lincoln. "So, you won't mind if I eat your share of breakfast too then?"

"Don't push it, Linc," she said with a wink before disappearing into the bathroom.

Lincoln made his way downstairs and took his place at the kid's table in the kitchen. As he sat, their father, Lynn Sr. leaned in and placed several plates on the table. "I made bacon, eggs, and toast today," he announced. "Eat up!"

Just then Lynn Jr. appeared in the threshold between the kitchen and the dining room. "How much longer dad!"

"I just finished," her father said as he prepared the last few plates. When they were ready, he put away his apron and made his way to the dining room.

Lynn Jr. looked around for a moment, looked back into the dining room, then back into the kitchen. "Has anybody told Lucy that breakfast is ready?"

"Um," Lincoln stammered, "she's still asleep, in my bed."

"I'll go get her then," the jock said before disappearing.

"Hey, Lincoln," asked Lana, "why is Lucy sleeping in your bed for anyway?"

"Because of you!" retorted Lincoln. "You got her upset last night. She fell asleep while I was comforting her."

The tomboy dipped her head. "Dang it," she said. "I forgot to apologize."

The mood at the table went somber, and everybody fell silent as they tried to enjoy their meal. Soon, Lucy walked into the kitchen and took her place at the table. "Sigh," she said. "Last as usual."

"I'm sorry, Luce," apologized Lincoln. "You were sleeping so soundly, and looked like you had a pleasant dream, so I let you sleep."

Lucy blushed a little. "Yeah, it was alright, I suppose."

Lincoln noticed she had gotten very little food, as their siblings had taken most of it. He looked at his plate and made a decision. "Here Lucy," he said as he pushed his plate towards her, "you can have the rest of mine. I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Th-thanks!" she exclaimed. She began stuffing her mouth as Lincoln rose, and followed him with her eyes, hidden under her bangs, as he left.

On his way through the dining room, he paused to talk to Luna. "Hey, I'm just going to go wait upstairs and maybe read something. Just come get me when you're ready."

"Will do," she spoke through a mouthful of toast.

Lincoln jogged up the stairs, taking two at a time. He didn't have a lot of time to spend relaxing. His day was quite full. He had to speak with Luna, listen to her song, help her plan out the night's events, and finally, he had to make sure Lana apologized to Lucy. Not wanting to waste any time, he grabbed whatever issue of Ace Savvy was on top of the pile, plopped onto his bed and began reading.

Luna had just finished breakfast and was headed upstairs to her room. She stood there for a moment, looking out her window for inspiration. "Well," she said softly to herself, "I guess this is it."

"How do you do it?" Lucy asked.

"Gah!" exclaimed the rocker. "You've got to stop doing that!" She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "How do I what?" she inquired.

"How do you get up in front of people all the time?" she elaborated. "Aren't you terrified? What if you fail?"

Luna sat on her bed and patted the spot beside her. "Listen, Lucy, I've had my share of failures, and it's never easy. But you can't let that stop you. Failures are just lessons in disguise. You have to learn from them. They're going to happen. Just roll with it."

"I see," commented the dark-haired girl.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Luna said as she grabbed her guitar and stood, "I have something to do. We can talk further later, alright?"

Lucy silently watched as Luna walked out of her room before heading to her own and closed the door. Luckily Lynn wasn't around. Lucy approached her bust of Edwin, placed on her nightstand. "Oh, Edwin," she sighed. "Why can't I be like them? Why can't I say what I want to say?" She continued staring at the statue. "Please, say something! Anything! Tell me what to do!" she yelled. Soon, her frustration turned into anger. Without realizing what she had done, she found herself looking down at the shattered remains of the bust.

Luna knocked on Lincoln's door. "You ready dude?" she asked.

"Sure, come on in," he returned as he put away his comic and sat up.

Luna entered and placed her guitar and amp on his floor. "I'm still really nervous about this. But not as much as yesterday. I also had a little talk with Lucy that gave me some confidence as well."

"Well, let's hear what you have before we talk any further," Lincoln interjected.

"Very well," Luna sighed as she picked up her guitar and turned on her amp.

The song started with a beautiful, clean guitar passage. Her voice was soft and mellow, then built into a heavy metal ballad beginning with the first Chorus.

[Verse 1]  
"My mother always told me that love would come in time."  
"But as the years went by I slowly lost my rhyme."  
"The songs were there and the feelings true."  
"So tell me, why do I feel blue?"

[Bridige 1]  
"If I only had someone."  
"To love me when I'm down."  
"Who understands me deep inside."  
"I wouldn't wear this frown."

[Chorus]  
"You never really know what you have."  
"Until you realize that it's gone."  
"And you never really know what you're missing."  
"Until you find it for yourself."  
"And I found you."

[Verse 2]  
"When you came into my world it was brightened."  
"Your presence makes me feel complete."  
"I need you by my side forever."  
"You make me feel replete."

[Bridige 2]  
"If I only had some time."  
"To tell you how I feel."  
"I'd make you understand with rhyme."  
"And feel my love for real."

[Chorus]  
"You never really know what you have."  
"Until you realize that it's gone."  
"And you never really know what you're missing."  
"Until you find it for yourself."  
"And I found you."

[Verse 3]  
"Noone knows just what the future may bring."  
"But I look forward to facing it with you."  
"Through happiness and sadness too."  
"Please know that I love you."

[Bridige 3]  
"If I only had the words."  
"To make you understand."  
"I'd tell you that with all my heart."  
"You're the reason that it beats."

[Chorus]  
"You never really know what you have."  
"Until you realize that it's gone."  
"And you never really know what you're missing."  
"Until you find it for yourself."  
"And I found you."  
"Ooh-ooh, I found you."  
"Ooh-ooh, I found you."

Lincoln stared in awe. "Luna, that was a-ma-zing!" he said. "Sam is going to die when she hears this."

"So," Luna asked tentatively, "you think so? It wasn't too sappy?"

"No way, Luna, it's perfect," her brother replied. "Now we need to plan out how we're going to do this."

"Well, I can give her a call and tell her we'll meet her at her house around two o'clock," Luna stated.

"I suppose I could use Lana's wagon to haul your stuff too," Lincoln added. He paused for a moment. "Hey, wait. Isn't this something you want to do alone?"

"Nah, bro," she answered, "with all you've done, I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, I might chicken out on the way there."

"Good point," he acknowledged.

"Then it's settled," Luna said as she gathered her things. "I'll go call her now and then practice some more. You can do whatever for now."

Lincoln and Luna both chuckled as he snapped up another comic and settled into his bed again. Not a moment later, a voice rang out, directly next to him.

"Will you play a game with me?" it said.

Surprisingly, Lincoln did not flinch as had noticed Lucy approach. Granted, she was as silent than ever, but after last night, he'd decided to pay more attention.

"Sure, but the only thing I have that you might like is Zombpocolypse II," he offered casually.

His gesture made Lucy smile. "Awesome," she said as Lincoln got the console ready.

As she'd never played before, he explained how to leap, run and crouch, as well as how to switch weapons, fire and throw a grenade. Soon, they were killing zombies left and right. Lucy kept her avatar close to Lincoln's, afraid she might get caught alone and die.

Lincoln tried to get her to be more assertive rather than rely on him. "Lucy, it's just a game. Your character will respawn, you know."

"I'll try," she replied. "You make me feel safe, though."

After a few more rounds, Lucy began to get the hang of it. Her favorite activity was to toss grenades. She enjoyed watching zombie body parts fly everywhere. Soon, her score was higher than his.

"Gee whiz, Lucy, I've created a monster," Lincoln stated. "You see, you can do it. All you need is confidence. You can do anything you put your mind to."

Thumbs sore from gaming, Lincoln suggested they do something else until lunch. Lucy agreed, and the two made their way downstairs. The boy plopped himself down on the couch."

"I think I'll watch TV for a while," he said as he changed channels.

Just as Lucy was sitting beside him, Luna came down the stairs. "Lincoln, there's been a change of plans. Sam has to be somewhere soon, so we have to go now."

"Dang it," Lincoln and Lucy said simultaneously.


	4. Destiny Awaits

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Lincoln hopped off the couch with a grimace as he placed the remote on Lucy's lap. "Fine," he said begrudgingly. "I'll go get the wagon and your stuff while you get ready." He then headed out the front door, while Luna made her way to the restroom to prepare herself.

Lincoln found the wagon in the garage, where he expected it to be, along with Lana. His younger sister had the cart up on blocks, working on it from underneath. "Hey Lana," he asked sheepishly. "Do you mind if Luna and I borrow your wagon for a while? We need to haul some stuff," he asked imploringly.

Lana slid out from underneath and sat up, wiping her hands with a red cloth. "Yeah, dude," she exclaimed. "I just straightened her axles and gave her a lube job. I was going to take her out for a test myself, but you guys can tell me how she handled when you get back."

"Hey, thanks, Lana," Lincoln said happily.

"But if you get one scratch on her," Lana said accusingly, "that's the last time I'll let you use her."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful," the white-haired boy said before leaving with the wagon in tow.

Lucy picked the remote up and looked at it briefly. "Sigh," she said as if she were out of breath. The dark-haired girl placed it on the couch, stood and headed to the dining room bay window, which was on the side of the house. She watched Lincoln pull the wagon around to the front of the house.

Lincoln left the wagon by the bottom of the front stoop and headed back inside. He made his way to Luna's room, unaware of Lucy's gaze. Once there, Lincoln gently placed Luna's guitar into its case, along with the cable. Next, he grabbed the case and the amp by their handles and began lugging the equipment down the stairs.

Luna was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, making sure her hair and eye-shadow were just right. At the same time, a myriad of thoughts ran through her mind. "Should I go through with this," she thought to herself. "What if she rejects me? What if she doesn't like the song? What if she hates me afterward?"

"Don't be silly," her conscience responded. "You've been friends for a long time. Nothing will change that. Besides, you've put too much work into this not to go through with it."

"You're right," Luna agreed. "Ok then, let's do this."

Luna was satisfied. She walked downstairs and out the front door. Seeing Lincoln had already gotten everything ready, Luna looked things over. "Ah, dude," she said. "I'll be right back. We need my boombox for the backing track."

"Oh yeah," replied Lincoln. "I didn't think of that." Lincoln sat on the lowest step of the front porch and waited for Luna to return.

A moment later, Luna emerged from the house carrying her portable cassette player. Lucy followed her out. "Can I come," she pleaded.

Luna turned toward Lucy and ruffled her hair with her free hand. "Not this time Munchkin," she explained. "This is a private show."

"Sigh," retorted Lucy. "Please don't call me Munchkin. But fine." She objected, returning to the house and closing the door.

Placing the addition in the wagon, Luna addressed Lincoln. "Shall we?" she asked.

"Indeed," acknowledged Lincoln before grabbing the wagons handle and heading off down the sidewalk with Luna beside him.

The sidewalk was made of large concrete grey slabs and had been there for years. It was starting to see the wear and tear of the elements, traffic, and the effects of expansion and contraction during the summer and winter months. As the two walked, they could hear the "ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump" sounds the wagon made.

Eventually, Luna thought she heard something shift, so she checked everything to make sure nothing had slipped out of place or was in danger of falling out. Everything seemed fine, however, as she turned back to inspect things, she noticed Lucy, standing in the bay window, just staring.

Luna shrugged if off. Lucy was a bizarre child. "Come on, let's keep going," she said to Lincoln. "We take a left just up there," she said, indicating the next intersection.

Upon reaching the intersection, Luna looked back towards the house as they turned the corner. Her younger sister was still standing there, staring out the window. The walked one more block before Luna paused and sat down on a nearby bench.

Lincoln sat down beside her. "What's the matter," he asked, "getting cold feet?"

"Nah, bro," she said. "But listen, we need to talk. I think you might have a problem on your hands."

Her brother thought for a moment about what that problem might be but came up with nothing. "What kind of problem?" he queried.

"A Lucy problem, Lincoln," she explained. "Let me explain. The other day, when she was trying to help me out, she read me one of her poems. It was about unrequited love. The thing is, it was intense. I can't believe she'd write something like that without having experienced it."

"Now that you mention it, something has seemed wrong with her lately," he said. Lincoln continued to explain how he had found Lucy crying in the duct, how Lana had teased her, how she had cried herself to sleep that night in his arms, as well her wanting to play video games and watch TV with him. "She has seemed upset recently. It's beginning to look like she does have a crush on somebody after all."

"Not just somebody dude," Luna replied, turning to look Lincoln in the eye. "You."

The boy stood there for a moment, all expression leaving his face. "What?!" he exclaimed. "But she's my sister! What is she thinking?" he asked with much confusion.

"It's not all that uncommon for a younger sibling to get crushes on an older sibling," Luna explained. "It's how you handle that is going to be the problem."

Lincoln gulped reflexively, knowing that he'd have to address it at some point. "I guess I should just ignore her, right?" he implored.

"No, you can't do that, Lincoln," the older sister said. "Behind all that doom and gloom, Lucy seems quite fragile. Ignoring her would probably make things worse. Furthermore, you can't date her, and therein lies the problem.

"Couldn't you have waited until aftward to tell me this?" Lincoln asked as he scratched his head. "Now it'll be all I can think about."

"I'm sorry, dude," she replied, "but it was fresh on my mind, and I had to talk about it now. I didn't want any distractions while we're there." She stood again, straightening her purple skirt. "Now, let's get moving," she said to Lincoln.

The pair headed off down the sidewalk toward Sam's house; both lost in their troubled thoughts.

Lucy was still watching from the window when Luna and Lincoln made their way around the corner and disappeared. "Sigh," she said. "I guess I'll go clean up the mess I made earlier."

She headed upstairs and into the room she shared with her sister, Lynn. When she opened the door, she glanced upon a yellow sticky note stuck to her dresser. Lucy walked over and picked it up, reading the message.

"Dear Lucy, I am sorry about Edwin, but I didn't do it! I swear! ~Lynn"

Lucy chuckled slightly. Lynn was always breaking things with all her hyperactivity. There's no wonder her older sister felt the need to leave an explanation. The young goth placed the note in her pocket and began to pick up the pieces of the bust that she, herself, had broken earlier and tossed them into the garbage bin. "I suppose I should go explain things to Lynn," she resigned to herself.

Luna and Lincoln walked for a while without saying anything. To break the tension, the boy spoke up. "Hey, Luna," he asked, "how long have you had a crush on Sam anyway?"

Luna's face turned red, and she got a dreamy expression on her face remembering how they met. "Well, it all started when I entered high school. She was in a few of my classes. We started talking one day after doing oral reports on music, and its influence on society." she explained with fondness.

"Go on," her brother implored.

"We eventually learned more about each other and started hanging out. Then one day she asked me if I wanted to jam with her. I said yes, and the rest is history." she finished.

"But enough about me. If I keep thinking about it, I'm going to burst," Luna added. "What about you and Ronnie Anne? How are you two doing?"

Lincoln blushed a little at the mention of Ronnie Anne. "Well, Lori is going to take us both into the city next weekend for a visit."

"That's not what I meant, bro," Luna said. "What I meant was, how do you feel about her?"

"Oh, hehe, well, you know, she's just an excellent friend," Lincoln tried to explain.

"Hm, are you sure about that, bro," she asked teasingly. "Your face gets flushed at the mention of her name."

"Maybe one day," he replied thoughtfully, "but right now, things are perfect just as they are."

"I hear that," the older sister said. "But, at some point, you might want to take it further. When, and if, that day ever comes, I hope you'll come to me for advice."

"You got it," he said.

After several minutes searching the house, Lucy found Lynn outside by the basketball hoop. "Hey, Lynn," the younger sibling asked. "Got a minute?"

"Gah!" Lynn spat. "You've got to stop sneaking up on people. You made me miss!" Lynn took a moment to calm herself. "Sure, what do you need sis?"

"I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you for Edwin's demise," she explained. "You see, I was the one who broke him. Anyway, that's all." Lucy turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lynn called out before hitting her with a barrage of questions. "What happened? Was it an accident? Do you want to go buy a new one?"

Lucy turned back toward Lynn, unsure of what to say. "No," she started, "that's not necessary. I think I broke him on purpose."

Lynn was stunned. "You think?" she asked.

Lucy saw no way out of this. There was nobody else around to divert the conversation to, so she resigned herself to answer. "Yes, you see, I never really loved Edwin, though he is kind of cute," Lucy explained. "I loved who he represented." She had meant to say "what" not "who," but the word was already said. She gulped hard, and it felt like she'd swallowed a rock.

Lynn was confused. "Well," she asked, "who exactly does he represent?"

Lucy lowered her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that right now." She then turned promptly and began walking away.

The young athlete stood there and watched her little sister walked off silently. Her mind was ablaze with images of various people about whom Lucy might be thinking. None seemed like a good match for her, in Lynn's opinion. "Oh well," she thought, "I'll question her later."

Luna paused briefly when Sam's house came into view. She took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out slowly. Her hands were shaking.

"Are you alright," asked the boy in the orange polo.

"Yeah, bro," she replied. "I'm just getting a little nervous."

"You'll do great!" her brother announced. "You've written a great song, and you've been practicing it. I see no reason to be nervous."

"It's not that," Luna admitted. "I'm just anxious about how she'll respond. If she doesn't like me back, it may be too awkward to continue being friends."

Lincoln turned toward Luna. "I'm going to tell you something Lynn taught me," he said. "When you play a game, you can win or lose. But if you never play, you'll always lose. So, how about you go in there and play the game, alright?"

Luna nodded, smiling at her brother. He always knew just what to say.

"Now, let's do this," Lincoln said authoritatively.

Luna turned and approached Sam's house. She ascended the front steps slowly as if she was forcing herself to do so, step by step. Finally, facing the door, she took another calming breath and knocked.


	5. Displays of Affection

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Having finished her practice regiment, Lynn decided to head inside to call a secret sister meeting. She made her way upstairs and dropped her gear off in her room. Lucy wasn't present. "That's odd," Lynn thought, "she's usually in there writing poetry." Leaving the room, she made her way to Lori's and Leni's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Lori said from inside.

As Lynn opened the door, she could hear the faint sound of Bobby's voice coming from Lori's phone. Soon, he stopped talking, and Lori responded, "Listen, I have to go. I'll call you back later, Boo-boo-bear."

"Lori, we need to call an emergency secret sister meeting right now, minus Lucy," she said emphatically.

"Okay, but isn't Luna out right now?" Lori responded.

Lynn signed. "Okay then, minus Lucy and Luna. We can fill Luna in later."

"Very well," acknowledged Lori. "I'll go get the others." Lori promptly left the room.

Leni had stopped her stitching and was trying her best to pay attention. "So, what's this about?" she asked.

"Not now, I'll tell you once everybody is here," Lynn responded before plopping herself onto a beanbag.

One by one, the remaining Loud girls arrived. First Luan, then Lola and Lana, followed by Lisa and finally, Lori.

Lori turned to Lynn and asked, slightly irritated at the timing of the event, "Okay, so what's so important that we need an emergency meeting now?"

Lynn sat up in the beanbag chair. "Well, I had something strange happen today. Earlier, I walked into our room, and Lucy's bust was well, busted. I left not explaining that I hadn't done it," she explained.

There was a small murmur, as all the girls exclaimed their innocence at once.

"Wait, there's more," Lynn kept talking. "Later, Lucy approached me about it while I was outside practicing." Lynn paused and scratched her head. "Now, I think the next part was an accident, but she let it slip that the creepy statue just represented somebody she has a crush on."

All the girl's faces went blank for a moment before squeals of delight emanated from them.

The excitement in the room grew exponentially, and questions about who Lucy's was crushing on began flying around the room.

"Do you know who it is?" Lori asked energetically.

"O. M. G.," said Leni. "I'm going to make her the cutest gloomy outfit ever!"

Lana merely stated, "I knew it! Though, now, I feel bad. I still need to apologize for teasing her."

"That's so adorable," squealed Lola. "We simply must find out who it is!"

"If we work together, and tag-team her, I bet finding out wouldn't be so heart. Get it? Heart?" Luan quipped. "Ha, ha, ha."

"That's not a bad idea, Luan," replied Lori. "Over the next day or so, we should each take a try at getting Lucy to spill the beans. Just don't be too obvious. Try to catch her off-guard."

"All in," Lori said, holding her hand out in front of her.

Soon, all the girls who were present had placed their hands on top of Lori's.

"Operation 'Trick Lucy into spilling information on her crush and find a shorter name for this operation' is now in effect!"

With a look of determination on their faces, the seven girls headed out to find Lucy.

-

Luna listened to soft footsteps as they approached the door from within, and her heart began to beat faster. Soon, they ceased, the tumbler turned with a jiggle, the door opened, and Sam made an appearance.

She immediately brought Luna into a friendly hug. "Hey, Luna, I wasn't sure you were going to make it!" she exclaimed. Releasing Luna, she acknowledged Lincoln. "Hey there, Lincoln," she said while waving to him.

"Uh, hi Sam," replied Lincoln politely.

"Come on in, and we'll get started," instructed Sam.

Luna ran back down the steps and grabbed her guitar while her brother picked up the amp and the boombox. They then headed inside together, following Sam to her living room.

The blonde sat down on her couch while Luna and Lincoln began setting things up. "It's been a while since you've written a new song," she said. "I can't wait to hear it."

Soon, everything was ready. "I put a lot of thought and feeling into this one. I hope you like it," Luna said. She took a deep breath, sighed, and nodded toward Lincoln, who pressed the play button.

For the next four minutes, Luna serenaded Sam with all her heart and soul. When the song came to its conclusion, there was a moment of silence. The rocker looked up at her friend. "Well, what do you think?" she asked. "Honest opinions only," she then added.

Sam clapped wildly and stood. "That's the best song I've ever heard!" she exclaimed. "I can't wait for the rest of the band to hear it! We have to start rehearsing right away!"

Luna's flushed slightly, and she dipped her head slightly. "I didn't write this for the band, Sam." She paused for a moment, then looked directly into her friend's eyes, "I wrote it for you."

Sam looked a little confused. "What do you mean?" she implored.

Luna unstrapped her guitar and handed it to Lincoln. She then strolled over to Sam held her hands, and looked straight into her eyes.

"Sam, I'm in love with you," she said. "I have been for a very long time. And if you feel the same way, I would be honored if you would become my girlfriend."

Sam's face flushed with red, which, almost as immediately, completely drained of color altogether. Her smile faltered and disappeared into a look of worry. "I..." she started saying before she heard a car door close outside.

Sam was flustered and began to panic. She pulled away from her guest, turned on the spot, and ran up the stairs. Luna thought she saw tears before Sam had turned, but wasn't sure.

Luna turned toward Lincoln, heartbroken. "Show's over," she said. "Mick has left the building."

Lincoln gave his sister a warm hug. "It's okay Luna, and maybe she needs time to think." Lincoln placed the guitar in its case. "I'll break everything down," he said, not wanting to cause his sister any more stress.

Luna walked out onto the porch as Mrs. Sharp was coming up.

"Hey there, Luna," Sam's mom said politely. "How are things going?"

Luna looked up at her friend's mother. "Not so good," she explained. "I think I might have upset Sam. I'm just leaving anyway."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the mother replied. "I'll go talk to her."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sharp," Luna said.

A few moments later, Lincoln had the wagon filled again and was ready to head home. "Luna, let's go," he said dejectedly. "I'm sorry that things did not work out the way you planned, but at least you told her how you feel."

"I'll be okay, Linc," Luna said, trying to be upbeat. "I've dealt with rejection before."

"I know," agreed her brother, "but you invested more of yourself this time. I know you're hurt."

Luna began walking home, and Lincoln soon followed suit. They walked in silence to the intersection before Luna broke the silence, wanting to distract herself. "What are you going to do about Lucy?" she asked through muffled sniffles.

"I thought about it a little, and I think the best things to do is to entertain her when she wants to spend time with me. At least, until Lucy outgrows it," he said. "That is if she doesn't start demanding all my time."

"Oh?" replied Luna, wanting to hear more.

"Yeah, see, this way, I can acknowledge her without addressing the actual problem, letting her work it out on her own," Lincolns stated. "Plus, if I make the occasional comment about Ronnie Anne, maybe she'll get the hint."

"I guess that sound alright," Lincoln's sister said. "But if she doesn't relent, you'll have to find the courage to deal with it directly."

Lincoln gulped. "I know."

The pair walked the rest of the way home in silence lost in their thoughts.

Upon reaching their house, Lincoln grabbed the amp and boom box, while Luna snatched up her guitar. They headed into the house with a somber look on their faces.

"Uh oh," gasp Leni, who was watching television with Lola and Lana. The twins didn't seem to notice and continued watching their cartoon. Leni, on the other hand, waited for the sound of Luna's door closing before heading upstairs herself.

-

Luna sat down on the bottom bunk, which belonged to Luann, and gently sobbed into her hands. Lincoln tried to comfort her as best he could. She'd been stifling her tears as much as possible on the way home. Now, the flood gates were open.

"It'll be alright," suggested Lincoln. "Here, why don't you play something to get your mind off it, or perhaps, channel your feelings into a new song?"

"Nah, bro," the rocker said sadly. "I don't feel like it right now."

Trying to show confidence, her brother made another suggestion. "Okay, maybe later then. Music always makes you feel better."

"I don't know, dude," Luna replied. "I'm not sure I'll ever play again." She looked at her guitar case, laying on the floor, and with one leg, pushed it under the bed.

Just then, a knock came from Luna's door, followed by a voice. "Luna, are you alright?" said Leni from the other side.

"Y-yeah," Luna said through tears. "I-I'm alright. I j-just need to be alone right now."

"Oh, okay," Leni called out.

The sounds of Leni retreating to elsewhere could be heard, fading as she walked away.

"Why didn't you let her in and talk to her?" asked Lincoln. "Wouldn't talking to another girl help right now?"

Luna said nothing. Instead, she slumped to her left, onto Luann's pillow and smothered her sadness as much as she could.

Lincoln glanced up at the poster of Mick Swagger, taped to the ceiling, just above the bunk beds.

"Hey, Luna, do you think any of Mick's songs were about girl's he loved?" Lincoln asked.

"Mmhmm," came a muted reply.

"Do you think they all worked?" posited Lincoln thoughtfully.

Luna propped herself up a tad. "Probably not."

"Well then," her brother explained, "where would the world be today if he gave up after one failed song or relationship?"

Luna's tears appeared to be drying up, though she was still very emotional and her breathing labored. "I don't know, Lincoln."

"Listen, I know you're heart is broken right now, but we all go through heartbreak," he elaborated. "Things don't always go the way we want. Sometimes you have to plow through it, and I know you can. You have to be strong. Tap into the indomitable spirit I know you have."

"Thanks, Linc," sniffled Luna as she brought Lincoln in for a hug. "I'll think I'll be alright now. I only need some time."

"Glad to hear it," he said softly. "When one curtain falls, another rises."

-

Lucy was in the kitchen, getting a glass of homemade blood when Lana approached. "Hey, uh, Lucy," she began, "I'm sorry I teased you the other day. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

The goth turned to her sister. "It's okay," she said. "I know you weren't trying to be mean."

"But," continued Lana, "if you do have a crush, you can come to me anytime. After all, if it's one sister's business, it's all of our business."

"No, thank you," Lucy retorted. "I can manage."

Lucy strode into the living room, where Lola was still sitting. She plopped herself onto the couch. "Mind if I have the television for a while, sis?" she asked.

"I guess so," the little princess slyly, "but only if you tell me who you're crushing on."

"But, that's personal, and Vampires of Melancholia is about to start!" came the strained response. Lucy was starting to tense up.

"Okay," Lola said teasingly holding the remote just out of reach.

Lucy attempted to snatch it away but failed. "Dang it," she said.

Unseen by either of them, Lynn had snuck behind the couch. Just as Lola was yanking the remote away, she saw her opportunity and pounced, quickly slipping the remote out of Lola's hand.

"Here you go Luce," Lynn said as she emerged from behind the couch, handing the device to her goth sister. "And pay no mind to Lola and Lana."

"Thanks, but I'm not in the mood now," she explained. "It's a rerun anyway."

"Would you mind helping me practice then? I need somebody to toss me the baseball." Lynn said, encouraging Lucy.

"I guess so," the younger sister said. "It's not like I have anything else to do."

Lynn and Lucy headed to the backdoor, and Lynn had a plan.


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Lynn did not like losing, and she was sure that her sisters would muck things up if she didn't act fast. Lynn knew that her siblings would merely try to trick Lucy into giving up her secret and decided to take a very different approach. If being into sports taught her one thing, it was that a head-on approach wasn't always the best tactic. Sometimes strategy was needed to win.

"Ok, you stand here and toss me a ball when I nod," Lynn instructed as she pointed to a bare spot on the ground in their backyard. Next to Lucy was a wireframe bucket of baseballs and a glove. Lynn then walked to her position by an old ragged home base that she'd made from a piece of plywood.

"How should I throw it?" asked Lucy.

"Alternate between overhand and underhand," said Lynn, "that way I can practice against a variety." The athlete took her bat in hand, assumed the batting position, and then nodded once.

Lucy put on the glove and tossed the first ball. Lynn swung and the bat connected with the ball, sending it right at her sister, who awkwardly caught it.

Lynn pointed to Lucy's right-hand side before nodding this time. Lucy took the hint and tossed the ball. Once again, the bat made contact and sent the ball to what would be right field. Lucy lunged to the side and barely managed to catch the ball.

The athlete then pointed to her sister's left before nodding. The younger sibling tossed the ball again. As Lucy predicted, the ball went sailing to her left. She missed this one, merely tipping the ball with the glove, making it lose momentum and drop to the ground.

"How do you make the ball go where you want it?" asked the goth.

"Just practice," replied Lynn choking up on the bat, readying herself for the next pitch.

"Uh uh," countered Lucy, still holding the ball. "I've seen people practice just as much as you, and they're nowhere near as good."

Lucy's question was her opening. "Ok, do you want to know my secret?" she asked. Without waiting for a response, she addressed her sister. "You know how you focus on your crystal ball while meditating?"

"Um, yeah?" Lucy said questioningly.

"Well, I do the same thing," explained Lucy's older sister. "I focus on the ball and nothing but the ball. Nothing else exists. I tune everybody out — not just the opposing team, but my team as well. It's just me and the ball, and I let my body react naturally."

"Ok, but what about hecklers in the crowd?" posited Lucy.

"They don't exist. I can't have any distractions, positive or negative." Lynn explained. "There will always be people who root for you and those who don't. You have to ignore what they say and do your own thing."

"I see," Lucy said contemplatively.

Lynn placed the end cap of her bat on the ground and leaned on the grip. "Say, do you mind if I asked you a question while we're at it?" she said.

Lucy gulped. She'd already been assaulted several times by nosy siblings and was nervous about what this sister might ask. "I suppose," she began, "as long as it isn't about who my crush is."

"Nah, bro," said Lynn with a small chuckle. "I've bunked with you long enough to know that nobody will ever get anything out of you if you don't want something known."

"Alright then, what's the question," Lucy asked.

"Why haven't you made a move?" Lynn questioned. "I mean, why are you settling on pining instead of focusing on what you want and getting it? Keeping it locked inside seems to be taking a toll on you."

The dark-haired girl thought for a moment. "Well, because I would be taking him away from somebody else, and that's not right, is it?" Lucy said.

Lucy had unwittingly revealed the gender of her crush.

"So, this guy, he's dating somebody?" Lynn inquired.

"No, not as such, but I know he likes somebody else," answered Lucy.

"Well, dang it," exclaimed Lynn, "what are you waiting on? Snatch him up before this other person does! I can help if you want."

Lucy considered it for a moment. "I don't know. Give me some time to think about it, alright?"

As if one cue, Lynn Sr. poked his head out of the back door. "Come in, girls. It's time for dinner," he called.

"Alright, be right there, dad," the two girls replied.

Lynn and her sister put away the equipment before heading in, at which point Lynn sealed the deal. "Listen, Lucy, I'm not going to pry, but the others very well may. I just wanted you to be aware. I know you'll tell your roomie when you're ready."

"Thanks, Lynn," Lucy smiled.

Upon entering, they saw that everybody else had already assembled and were either seated or finding a place to sit. Lynn went into the dining room and took her place at the grownup table. Lucy sat her usual spot in the kitchen.

Lynn Sr. was busy placing plates of Beef Stroganoff in front of each child. "Here you go," he would say as he went. "There's plenty for everybody. Don't hesitate to get seconds."

Lincoln, being unaware of his sister's plan, started shoveling his food in. The walk to and from Sam's house caused him to be quite hungry. "Thanks, dad. This meal is awesome!"

As he ate, he noticed Lola, Lana and Lisa trade very interesting glances at each other, as if some form of silent communication was going on.

After a few moments of silence, Lisa spoke. "Hey, Lucy, do you think you could help me with an experiment after dinner?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Uh, I guess so," said Lucy suspiciously. "What kind?"

"Oh, I am doing a study on how various emotional stimuli impact the electrical charges in the brain," she explained.

Lucy knew immediately what this meant. "I pass," she said in her monotonic voice. "I know what you're all up to, and you're not getting anything from me."

"Dang it," spat Lisa. "You're smarter than your typical behavior, and outward appearance would suggest."

"What's that supposed to mean," accused the goth, standing up ready for a brawl.

Lincoln patted Lucy's shoulder, urging her to retake her seat. "I'm sure she didn't mean that the way it sounded. You know how unfairly judgemental Lisa can be."

Lucy sat, but she wasn't happy.

"Well, looks like that plan was a bust," Lisa stated matter-of-factly.

The white-haired boy turned to Lisa. "Why were you trying to pry into Lucy's private life anyway?" he asked. "It's none of your business. Keep your nose where it belongs, on your face."

Lisa did not like being chastised. She was the smart one and was always right. Realizing that Lincoln was right, however, she put her attention into finishing her meal.

Lucy wanted to get away from her remaining sisters as soon as possible. She ate quickly, cleared her dishes, and headed out of the kitchen. Of course, she had to walk past the rest of the family on her way through the dining room.

"Hi, Lucy," said Leni cheerfully as she turned to face her sister.

"No," said Lucy flatly. "Not going to happen."

"Dang it," said Leni.

Luna looked at Lucy sternly. If her suspicions were right, she and sister's would indeed have a difficult time extracting Lucy's secret. Luna also knew that they needed to do so.

Lucy stopped and faced the table. "As for the rest of you, I know what you're trying to do, and you may as well forget it," she said authoritatively before leaving for parts unknown.

"What was that all about," asked Rita.

"Nothing, mom," sighed Lori. "Just a sibling thing."

As dinner broke, Lori stood at the top of the stairs, flagging down each of her sisters, except Lucy. "Sister meeting in my room," she would say as each passed. Once Lori had delivered the message to everybody, she retreated to her room as well.

Luna nestled into the beanbag, as usual, and asked, "So, what's going on? Did I miss something?"

Everybody nodded, but it was Lori who spoke first. "Yeah, you did," she said. "It is apparent that Lucy has a crush, so we were attempting to find out who so we could help her out."

Luna considered this for a moment. She wasn't sure she had the right to expose Lucy. However, if her sister liked who she suspected, it was a big deal. "I-I think I know," the rocker stated plaintively.

A few "ooh's" and "ah's" came from the assemblage.

"Do tell!" exclaimed Lola in excitement.

"Now, please realize that I might be wrong, but," she began sheepishly, "I think it's Lincoln."

Every smile in the room immediately disappeared and was replaced with grimaces. "What?!" they all said at once.

"That's gross!" exclaimed Lana. "Even for me!"

Luna explained everything that had happened between herself, Lincoln and Lucy. She informed them of Lucy's strange behavior around their brother and how she has wanted to spend time with him, about how she stared at him as the left for Sam's house, about her crying herself to sleep in his arms, and how he let her sleep in his room that night.

Lynn spoke next. "Now that you mention it, it does seem to fit." she started. "When I asked her why she didn't pursue things, she told me that she'd be taking him away from somebody else. That could mean Ronnie Anne, right?"

"The question is, does Lincoln know, and if so, how does he feel?" Lori asked with concern on her face.

"Well," replied Luna, "we talked about it a bit, and he doesn't seem interested. He was shocked and concerned himself."

"I see," stated Lori. "I'll be right back."

The gaggle of girls waited patiently until Lori return. They expected her to return with Lucy, so they were all stunned when it was Lincoln who entered.

Lincoln walked into the room with a bit of trepidation. "Um," he stammered, "I've never been invited to a sister meeting before. What's going on?"

Lori quickly summarized what had happened, and all they'd learned while Lincoln stood there with a worried look on his face. He gulped hard and was confident that he was about to be interrogated. Luckily, that did not happen.

"We have to get to the bottom of this! You deserve to hear the truth as much as any of us," Lori explained. "But Lucy will never come clean if you're present, so what I'd like you to do is hide in my closet and listen."

Their brother scratched his head. "I guess," he said, "but isn't that a little dishonest?"

"If we're right, what she's feeling is worse," Luna interjected.

"Very well," Lincoln sighed as he entered the closet and closed the door, making himself comfortable on a pile of laundry.

"I'll be right back," informed Lori, "again."

It took a few moments longer than before, and the girls thought they heard the sound of a struggle in the hallway, but eventually, Lori came back into the room with the little dark-haired girl wiggling in her arms.

"Put me down!" yelled Lucy.

As soon as the eldest sister had put the girl down, Lucy bolted for the door. Luna anticipated the move and placed the beanbag in front of the door, and had retaken her seat. "Not this time, bro," Luna said firmly.

Lucy sighed verbally and walked toward Lori's bed. At the last moment, though, she made a bee-line for the air duct. This time, it was Lori who intervened, blocking Lucy's only other means of escape. "Oh no, you don't," Lori spat authoritatively.

"Dang it," sighed Lucy. She knew what was coming and swallowed.

Lori was the eldest, and usually in charge of sister meetings, so the others remained silent while she addressed the situation. "Listen, Lucy," she began to explain as she put on hand on the small girl's shoulder. "We love you, and we don't want to see you get hurt. But, from everything we've been able to piece together, it looks like you might be heading for trouble. Now, I don't know quite how to ask this, but you must answer honestly. Can you do that?"

Lucy lowered her head and started to blush. She knew that there was no way to avoid this confrontation and conceded. "Yes," she said sadly. "I'll answer."

Begin quite familiar with speaking in front of crowds, Luann stepped forward. Her eyelids were at half-mast, and as she pointed an accusing finger at her sister. "Are you in love with Lincoln?" she inquired.

There was a distinct pall in the air, which lingered for a moment. Suddenly, much to everybody's surprise, Lucy began laughing maniacally. "Ha ha ha," she giggled, holding her sides. Her amusement was so intense that she fell to her knees. "That's a good one Luann, and you almost had me there for a moment."

Blank expressions could be seen on everybody there, except Luann who frowned and furrowed her brows. "I wasn't trying to be funny," she said crossly. "It was a serious question."

Lucy stood again, finishing her laughter. "I'm sorry, guys," she managed to get out between chuckles. "I love our brother, but no, I am not in love with him. He's kind, thoughtful and helpful, but just, no."

"Wait," implored Luna, "then why were you staring at him as we left earlier?"

"I wasn't staring at him. I was reciting a good luck mantra for you, Luna," Lucy explained.

"Why did you fall asleep in his arms then?" asked Leni.

"I have an answer for that. I just did," Lucy told Leni. "Crying is exhausting."

"Well, how about sleeping in Lincoln's bed?" Lola asked.

"Well, now that wasn't my decision. I guess it was just easier for Lincoln than carrying me down the hallway," she surmised.

"Hold up!" Lynn spat. "This is fitting, but there's something else. You said you didn't want to interfere in an existing relationship. That could only be Lincoln, as he's with Ronnie Anne, or Lori, considering she's dating Bobby, which is just as bad. Do you care to explain that?"

"Sigh," said Lucy, "it looks like I'm not getting out of here without telling you so I may well. It's Clyde, alright? I didn't want to do anything until he got over Lori and was trying to get closer to Lincoln so I could spend more time with Clyde in the process."

Finally, it all made sense. Sighs of relief resounded all over the room.

"Lincoln," Lori called out, "you can come out now."

As Lincoln stepped from the closet, looking much relieved, Lucy became flustered. "You butt!" she directed toward Lori.

"Sorry, Luce, but I had to" came the explanation. "You wouldn't have spilled the beans otherwise."

"I suppose you're right," Lucy acknowledged.

"Lincoln, since you're already here, you're welcome to stay," Lori announced. "We have one more thing to go over."

Lincoln took a seat on the floor, trying not to look too eager at engaging in girl talk.

"So, how did things go with Sam, Luna?" Lori asked.


	7. Troubling Times

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Luna explained to her siblings everything that happened while she and Lincoln were at Sam's house. Of course, she left out the private discussions they had on the way there and back.

"I'm sorry, Luna," said Lori. "That must've been heartwrenching."

"She just ran out without an explanation?" exclaimed Lana. "Lame."

"Lana, I didn't think you were even interested," replied Lola raising an eyebrow.

"I said that I wouldn't have bothered, myself, not that I don't care about Luna's feelings," the tomboy clarified.

"The only reason you pretend not to care is that you have a crush on the garbage man!" Lola spat laughing.

"I do not!" shouted Lana blushing before pouncing on her twin.

The two kicked up quite a dust storm as they brawled, which only lasted a moment before Lori pounded the heel of one of her shoes on the podium.

"Settle down!" she yelled. "No fighting in a meeting!"

The twins did as she asked, though both pouted at having to stop.

"What do you plan on doing now, Luna?" asked Leni, who had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to speak.

Luna's head drooped slightly. "I don't know guys. The ball is in her court now. I don't think there's much I can do," she said forlornly.

"Well, we're all behind you, whatever you do," Luann interjected, "you know that right?"

"Yeah, bro," Luna replied. "It's ok. Everything will turn out alright. You gotta have hope, you know?"

Nods of agreement emerged from all her siblings. There was a moment of silence, then Lori turned her attention to Lucy.

"Clyde, huh, Lucy?" she implored with eyes half-lidded. "Why him of all people? He gets nosebleeds all the time for goodness sake."

"That's one of his best qualities," the goth responded.

Lincoln was as surprised as the rest and had a question of his own. "Lucy, you do know he's easily terrified, right?" he asked.

Lucy looked at her brother while he asked the question. "That's also one of his best qualities," Lucy said.

The group groaned. They didn't understand Lucy's attraction to Clyde. However, they begrudgingly accepted it.

"Is there anybody else who wants to ask a question?" Lori said, looking around the room. After she'd scanned the crowd, she announced, "Alright then. It's getting late. This meeting is over. Now go get some sleep."

Lori banged her shoe heel on the podium three times, calling the end of the meeting. Everybody began to stand and file out into the hallway, including Leni.

Lori facepalmed herself, "Not you, Leni. You're already in your room."

Leni chuckled as she remembered. "Oh, right, I forgot."

Luna was the first to leave the room, as she was sitting in front of it. She made her way to her room and changed into her purple nightgown. After climbing the ladder on the bunk bed she and Luann shared, she settled under her covers, pulling them up to her face.

The young rocker was going to have to face Sam on Monday at school. The thought terrified her. As her body relaxed, beginning to go into sleep mode, she went over every possibility in her head.

She imagined Sam snubbing her on Monday morning. She considered how she would react if Sam started teasing or insulting her. She pictured herself crying in the school bathroom, pleading for the day to be over.

Her entire body shuddered at these thoughts. Soon, tears began rolling silently down her round cheeks. Eventually, she fell asleep, staring up at her poster of Mick. Even he didn't have anything to say right now.

Lucy made her way to her room, donned her white night-shirt, and climbed into her bed. She leaned against the headboard with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Sigh," Lucy said before pulling out her cellphone. She quickly loaded her messenger.

Lucy: Haiku, you there?  
Haiku: Yeah. I was getting ready for bed. What's up?  
Lucy: Can you meet me in the graveyard tomorrow at noon?

Haiku immediately knew that something was wrong.

Haiku: Sure. What's wrong?  
Lucy: I'll explain tomorrow.  
Haiku: Well, ok.  
Lucy: Later.

With that done, she nestled herself under the covers, pulling them entirely over her head. Tears were already pooling in her eyes. She had lied to her siblings and now had two problems to solve.

Lincoln wait his turn for the restroom, which took a while. Eventually, the line shorted and his turn came. As usual, his sisters had left the bathroom in a disorderly state. He proceeded to use the facilities and wash his hands and face before heading off.

Being the last out of the bathroom at night did have its privileges. For one, the hallway was usually clear of sisters. For another, he didn't always have to get fully dressed to walk to his room. Of course, checking if the coast was clear first was advisable.

As he laid down in his bed, he reached for his walkie-talkie. "Clyde? Come in. Are you still awake?" he spoke into the device.

Lincoln heard brief static, followed by a stifled yawn. "Yeah, I'm here, buddy. What do you need?" came Clyde's response.

"It's a bro-code thing, pal," Lincoln whispered into the mic. "I thought I'd give you a heads up."

"What are you talking about Lincoln?" Clyde responded.

"You know how we're running for class president and vice president this week, and how you'll probably be spending a lot of time here?"

"Get to the point buddy," a very sleepy voice said. "I'm tired."

"Ok, well get this," the white-haired boy said. "One of my sisters likes you!"

"L-L-L...," stammered Clyde.

"Sorry, it's not Lori," Lincoln explained. "It's Lucy! Can you believe that?"

"Well, that's surprising," Clyde said, "but couldn't this have waited until tomorrow? I'll be over some time after breakfast. I'm too tired to think about it right now."

"Sure, buddy. You're right. It can wait," Lincoln acknowledged. "Goodnight."

"See ya," Clyde said before signing off.

Lincolns thoughts then turned to his sisters as he snuggled into bed. He felt horrible for Luna and wished there was something he could do to make her feel better. He knew there wasn't though. But he could do something for Lucy, however. He decided to try and get her and Clyde together. That wasn't going to be an easy task, though. He and his friend often referred to Lucy as "Spooky."

In truth, Lucy wasn't all that spooky. Sure, she had a habit of startling people, but that wasn't so bad. Her main problem was that she was merely depressed. At the very least, her demeanor made others sad. Lincoln would have to see if he could build a bridge between Lucy and Clyde without changing either of them too much.

He wanted his sisters to be happy, and always felt bad for them when they were sad. It was his unsaid mission in life to protect and care for them. He wasn't going to settle until they were all happy. So, the plan was to cheer up Luna and get Lucy together with Clyde.

With that settled, Lincoln's thoughts began to take on the form of a comic, in which he was the main character, and he was soon asleep.

It seemed like only moments before Lincoln was startled awake. Something had hit him in the head. He shot up, looking around his room. His eyes settled on Lynn, standing in his doorway with a dodgeball under one arm.

"Wake up, bro," announced Lynn. "You're missing breakfast, and there isn't much left."

"Dang it!" he exclaimed. "I overslept."

Lynn left Lincoln to the task of getting dressed and downstairs. Lincoln arrived in the kitchen a few moments later, just as the others were finishing their meal. The only ones left were Lana and Lucy.

"Good morning," the late-sleeper addressed his sisters.

"Morning, Linc," returned Lana.

"I don't see what's so good about it," said Lucy glumly.

Lincoln sat and grabbed what little food was left, which consisted of a piece of toast and some scrambled eggs.

"Hey, Luce," said Lincoln through a mouthful of food, "Clyde's coming over later to help get ready for the elections this week. I just thought you'd want to know."

Lucy didn't respond. Instead, she forced herself to smile. "Oh, yay," the goth said before getting up. "I'm done eating now," she said flatly. She placed her dishes in the sink and walked somberly out of the kitchen.

"That was weird," Lana said curiously.

"Don't be too hard on her," Lincoln replied, "Lucy doesn't show emotion very often. Give her time to get used to the idea."

Lana nodded as she also moved to place her dishes in the sink. "Smell you later, Lincoln," she said as left the kitchen.

The comic fan enjoyed the rest of his meal in relative silence. Maybe he should be late more often? Just as he was finishing up, Luna came into the room.

"Hey, Luna," said Lincoln. "Did you sleep well?"

Luna answered her brother as she got a pudding from the refrigerator, "Not really, dude."

"That's unfortunate," Luna's brother replied. "Bad dreams?"

"You could say that," said Luna taking a seat across from Lincoln. "I just hope she doesn't hate me now."

Lincoln put down his toast. "Luna," he began, "this isn't like you. You always look to the bright side of things. It's one of your biggest strengths. Don't let yourself get dragged down by the negative possibilities. Envision the positive one instead. When you're sad, I'm sad. I believe in you."

"Awe, that's sweet, Linc," Luna replied. "Thanks for believing in me. That means a lot, bro."

Lincoln shoved the last of his toast into his mouth and stood to clear the table of the remaining dishes. Luna joined him, and soon, the surface was clear.

Luna walked over to Lincoln and drew him into a big hug. "Thanks, bro, you're the best!" she exclaimed. "Now, how about we do these dishes?"

Lincoln nodded, and the two began washing the dishes that nobody else had offered to clean. Halfway through, Luna started humming out loud. The boy recognized the tune as the one Luna had written for Sam. He declined to say anything, deciding instead to enjoy listening to his sister's happy expression of love.

When they finished, they went their separate ways. Luna headed upstairs to play her guitar while Lincoln went to his room to get ready for the day. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and called out, "Clyde? Come in, Clyde."

"Hey, buddy," came from the device. "I've almost got everything ready. I'll be over in a few minutes."

"Copy that," stated Lincoln.

Lincoln made sure that he was also ready. He gathered his papers and pencils, as well as his notebook, and put them on his dresser neatly. "One more thing," the boy told himself before heading out of his room. He stopped at the first door on the left and knocked.

"You may enter," said Lisa begrudgingly.

Lincoln opened the door and stepped inside. "Lisa, Clyde, and I need to prepare for our campaign today. May we borrow your chalkboard?"

"As long as you remember to clean it before returning it," his little sister instructed.

"You got it," Lincoln acknowledged as he grabbed the board by its edge and started pulling it out of Lisa's room.

A few minutes after placing the chalkboard in his room and positioning it the way he wanted, there was a knock on the front door. Lincoln heard Leni answer it.

"Oh, hi, Clyde!" Leni said.

"Is Lincoln here?" Clyde asked.

"No, he's upstairs," Leni replied not fully grasping the concept of "here."

"Ok...," Clyde responded a little taken aback. "May I come in then?"

Leni agreed, and the boy thanked her before heading upstairs to Lincoln's room. Clyde saw that Lincoln's door was already open and started walking towards it.

Lincoln greeted his friend as Clyde approached, meeting him in the hallway. He also noticed Lucy standing outside the bathroom door and decided to call her over.

"Hey, Lucy," he said, "do you want to help us out?" He planned to give Lucy as much opportunity to interact with Clyde as possible.

Lucy stood still for a moment before addressing them. "No thanks, I was just on my way to see Haiku anyway."

"Dang it," said Lincoln.


	8. Chances Taken

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

Lincoln and Clyde watched as Lucy descended the stairs and listened as she exited the house.

"Are you sure she likes me?" asked Clyde as he turned to eye his friend with suspicion.

"Well," explained Lincoln, "that's what she said. But we have work to do. I'm sure she'll be back eventually."

The two boys then headed into the converted linen closet to begin the task of designing a campaign platform.

Lucy had left a bit earlier than she had initially intended, but at the moment, wanted to avoid Clyde. The walk to the cemetery was peaceful at least.

She arrived early, and Kaiku was nowhere in sight. With nothing else to do, she began to survey the plots. After a moment, Lucy noticed that a new headstone had appeared since her last visit.

"Nice," she said to herself. "Another friend."

The little goth pulled out a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from her backpack. She placed the paper over the engravings on the grave marker and held it up with her left hand. She then used the charcoal pencil to create an etching of it.

When she was satisfied, she held it up for inspection. She was pleased and put the etching into a binder with the others. Lucy often used these papers as a focal point of her seances, and never really did make friends easily with the living.

Lucy was still busying herself, putting away her materials when Haiku approached.

"I'm here, Lucy," said the older goth girl. "What's this all about?"

Lucy sat down on a nearby stone bench, motioning for her friend to sit as well.

"Have you ever been in love?" Lucy questioned mournfully.

Lucy was fighting back the urge to cry, and her friend sensed it.

"Well, I've had a few crushes before," Haiku said flatly. "But nothing serious. Why do you ask?"

"Because I am and I don't know what to do about it," Lucy confessed.

Haiku raised an eyebrow. "Have you told him how you feel?"

"No, I can't do that," the smaller goth admitted. "He's... not available."

"Oh," replied Lucy's friend. "I suppose the only other option is to move on unless you want to keep torturing yourself. Isn't there anybody else you have feelings for?"

Lucy sat and contemplated what her friend had just said, and Haiku was right. If somebody isn't available, they aren't available. But could she do that? Could Lucy move forward? At the moment, she doubted that she could.

"Well, there is this one guy that I do sort of like," Lucy told Haiku. "But, his heart belongs to somebody else. There aren't together specifically. However, I am not sure if he'd be willing to give it a try."

"Listen, Lucy," Haiku said as she leaned towards her friend. "Being goth is a lifestyle, and it can be glum at times, but that doesn't mean you have to be sad when there are other options. Ask this other guy out for crying out loud. If he's not tied down, who cares, right? The worst he can say is no, and you won't have lost anything."

Lucy stared at her friend. Haiku wasn't that much older than herself. Lucy began to wonder what happened in her friend's life that gave her this little piece of wisdom.

"You know what?" stated Lucy. "You're right."

"Besides, he might say yes, and that might be just what you need right now," added the goth in black and purple. "It'll help you get over your other crush."

Lucy chuckled slightly. "That'll never happen, but maybe it will distract me. Thanks for meeting me here, Haiku. You're the best friend a goth could have."

The two embraced in a friendly hug, then said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Luna was still in her room, practicing her guitar. Currently, she was getting into a sweet blues riff. As she ended the phrase, her phone suddenly made a short beeping sound, indicating that she'd received a message. The rocker set her guitar down and pulled out her phone. Sitting on the edge of Luann's bunk, she opened up the messenger app.

Sam: Um, hey. We need to talk. Can you come over in a few?

"What now?" thought Luna as she bit her lower lip. Her heart still fluttered every time she saw Sam's name. However, she was hesitant to face Sam right now due to what her love interest might have to say.

Luna: We can talk here if you want.  
Sam: No, this is something I need to say in person.

Luna considered asking Sam to come to their house if it was that important but decided against it. The thought of ten pairs of ears on the other side of the door unnerved her.

Luna: Alright, I'll come over shortly.  
Sam: Thanks.

Lucy trudged along the sidewalk leading home. "Haiku was right," she thought. "If my true love isn't available, I may as well find somebody else. Who knows, it might work out. But then again, when has life ever played fair with me?" She signed verbally and continued along the trail of concrete slabs. "I do kind of like Clyde, and he is cute. But, I don't know if he'd like me back. He always acts so skittishly around me. I guess there's only one way to find out. It's a chance, but it's one I have to take."

The little girl made her way home and headed up to her room. As she did so, she heard Clyde talking from within Lincoln's bedroom. It was then that she got an idea. Entering her room, Lucy pulled out her makeup box and began looking through it. Eventually, she settled on a shade of black lipstick, mascara, liner, and eyeshadow.

Lucy produced a black headband out of her pocket. It was layered and had a small skull on its precipice. She placed it on her head, using it to push her bangs back. After years of practice, she had the mascara, liner, and eyeshadow masterfully applied but was having difficulty with the lipstick. After correcting a few mistakes, however, she was satisfied.

The goth put away her things but left the headband in place. If Clyde was going to accept her, he needed to do so entirely, not just her casual self. The goth then left her room.

Lincoln and Clyde were busy discussing what things they should run on during their campaign for class president and vice president. The chalkboard had numerous issues listed upon it.

"We should be trying to please as many people as we can," said Clyde imploringly.

"True, but remember, we don't have a huge budget," Lincoln responded. "Besides, we need to keep in mind that some things are out of our hands. The white-haired boy turned toward the board. "We need to separate what the students need from what the students want, eliminate what we can't do, and prioritize the things we can."

"What if we..." Lincoln's friend began to say.

Just then, a light knocking came from the door.

"Come in," called Lincoln.

As Lucy entered the room and shut the door behind her, the two boys could do nothing but stare.

"Yes!" exclaimed Lincoln to himself.

"Uh, L-Lucy, you look different," stammered Clyde.

"Good different," she asked, "or bad different?"

The dark-skinned boy pushed his glasses into place as he considered his feelings. "Good different I'd say," he replied. "Cute."

"What are you guys doing?" Lucy asked. "Can I join you?"

Just then, Luna came through the door, interrupting whatever the response would've been.

"Lincoln! Come with me!" she said anxiously but excited.

The older sister then realized that Lincoln had guests.

"Oh, my bad, dudes," she apologized. "I didn't realize you were doing something."

"It's okay, Luna. We were just about to take a break anyway. "What'd you need?"

"Well," she admitted sheepishly, not wanting to interfere, "Sam needs to talk to me, and I wanted you to come along with me."

"That seems a little personal, Luna," her brother responded. "Wouldn't you rather face her alone?"

"Yeah, bro, but I need you for moral support," she explained. "What if I don't like how things turn out? I'll need your shoulder dude because I already know that I won't be able to handle it."

Lincoln considered his options. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. He had a way of leaving Lucy and Clyde alone together.

"Okay, sis, but only if you promise me that I don't have to listen to the discussion," Lincoln demanded.

"Deal! I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," Luna exclaimed before heading off to get her things.

"Clyde, Lucy, I'll be back shortly," said the white-haired boy. "I'm sure you two can figure out something to do. There are comics in my nightstand and video game underneath it. Clyde, you know how to set everything up, so I'm going to grab a drink before Luna hauls me off again."

Lincoln then left his bedroom, leaving Clyde alone with Lucy.

Clyde's one true love was Lucy's older sister, Lori, but he knew that Lori was too old for him and would never feel the same way he did. So why was his heart racing? Was it that he never had a girl like him before? Was it because of Lucy? Maybe it was just nerves. He looked from the door to Lucy, who was peering up at him shyly. He had to say something to break the awkward silence now consuming the room.

"Uhm, L-Lucy, you have gorgeous eyes," he said stammered out. He couldn't recall ever having seen her eyes, but here they were, in front of him. Lucy's eyes glistened like water and were a beautiful shade of grey, with a hint of blue.

Lucy had noticed the stammer, but also that he didn't seem to freak out as he did around her older sister. "Thank you," she replied. "You usually act scared around me. If I were Lori, you'd be on the floor already and my shoes covered in blood. What's up?"

"O-oh nothing," he lied. "It's just that find talking with you more comfortable. Your sister is a lot older than me, and that intimidates me."

"You wanna play a video game?" Lucy asked coyly batting her eyes. "I practiced on Zombpocolypse the other day."

"Uh, uh, sure L-Lucy," Clyde responded. Stifling his shock at how forward Lucy seemed to be, he turned and began looking through the game cartridges.

Clyde didn't know Lucy that well, but he certainly knew her well enough to know that she didn't usually go around exposing her emotions, let alone flirt. However, she genuinely seemed to be in need at the moment, and he didn't have a girlfriend to speak of, so he concluded that he'd play along. After all, she was Lincoln's sister, and he wanted Lucy to be happy.

"I can't seem to find it," Clyde announced with a sigh.

Lucy looked at the console. "I found it. It's still in the thingy."

Lincoln's friend chuckled. "This is called a console," Clyde instructed. "And this is called a cartridge."

"Oh," said Lucy. "Well, let's play!

Clyde turned on the power, waited for the game load, selected two-player campaign mode, and then hit play. Their avatars spawned on the edge of town, and a dialog screen appeared instructing them to investigate and clear the city of zombies.

The boy knew he had more experience at the game than Lucy did. "Just stay close to me, and you'll be alright," he said.

Clyde dismissed the dialog box, and the two began searching for weapons and supplies, making their way down the street. Clyde found a shotgun and took up a position behind a concrete barricade. Lucy managed to pick up and AK-47 and assumed a crouching stance behind a nearby car. Trash and rubble littered the streets. Whatever happened here had taken its toll on the surroundings.

Soon, a stray cat bolted out from behind a garbage can and ran down the road. Zombies began piling out into the streets from within the abandoned buildings and alleys. The pair started their assault on the walking dead. Body parts and blood splattered everywhere. As the mob thinned, Clyde moved from behind his cover to move to a more open place and advanced down the street. Lucy followed his lead, staying to his left.

Clyde noticed that Lucy was doing quite well. Her score nearly matched his own. The battle ended, and they looked at the carnage they'd left in their wake.

Lucy was impressed with the boy sitting next to her. He didn't flinch one bit.

"Doesn't this scare you?" she asked as she hit the pause button.

"Nah," replied Clyde. "I like scary things. I'm sure you're aware that Lincoln and I watch ARRGH!"

"Why do you like scary things, though?" asked the small goth girl.

"Well, because they're scary," he said thoughtfully. "They scare me, giving me an adrenaline boost." After explaining, he had a similar question, "So, why do you like scary things, Lucy?"

"Because I'm not scared of them," she said. "They are my friends. It's everybody else I'm scared of."

"I see," said Clyde sadly. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, silly," replied Lucy. "I kind of l-like you."

"Why me though," questioned the boy. "We seem like total opposites."

"That's not true," explained the goth. "We both like the same things, but for different reasons, and we each have strengths the other doesn't."

Clyde turned to look at the girl sitting beside him. Lucy was inches away. Her beautiful eyes were staring right into his, resembling large pools of water. He felt a pounding withing in his chest that he'd never felt before. Not even around Lori. It hurt, but at the same time, felt inviting.

"I like you too, Lucy," he admitted. "I just never felt confident enough to tell you."

"Guess what?" Lucy said.

"What?" came Clyde's nervous reply.

"You're not stuttering anymore," Lucy said seductively before leaning in.

Clyde's eyes opened to their fullest extent. Was he about to be kissed by a girl? The young man couldn't accept it. He'd always been called a dork or worse, and certainly never would've had the nerve to talk to a girl much less kiss her. Here he was, in front of a cute girl, who was still moving closer. He began to panic, and his breathing hastened. He thought about the paper bag he usually carried with him, then something happened.

Lucy's lips pressed again Clyde's and every ounce of the boy's anxiety flushed out of him like a wave of relief. He leaned into the kiss, accepting her, and two became one.

They stayed locked in a kiss for several minutes, at least until the bedroom door opened.


	9. Strength and Reward

**A/N: Nickelodeon and Chris Savino own The Loud House and related characters. No copyright infringement intended. This story is merely a work of fiction and written under the fair use policy.**

The unlikely couple pulled apart, trying to avoid disaster, but it was too late. Lori had already caught them. Her hand flew to her chest, clasped together, and little hearts formed in her eyes.

"Awe," cooed Lori. "That is, literally, the cutest thing I've ever seen! I can't wait to tell everybody!"

"Uh, hi, Lori," said Clyde, embarrassed beyond belief.

Lucy sprang to her feet, grabbing one of Lincoln's spare shoes as she did so. "Don't you dare!" she said, hoisting her weapon into throwing position.

Her pleading fell on deaf ears. Lucy's older sister had left the room already.

"Hey, guys!" the older sibling yelled. "It's finally happened!"

The goth hurled the footwear, as hard as she could, at her opponent. Anticipating the move, Lori ducked, and the shoe went careening down the hallway. Soon, all the doors were open, and the remaining sisters questioned Lori.

"What's all the ruckus," asked Lana, "and can I join?"

"Some people have no class," replied Lola frowning and folding her arms.

Luann noticed the shoe near the bathroom and pointed at it. "At least we know what caused the commotion," she commented. "Now we wait for the other shoe to drop! Get it? Ha, ha, ha."

"I caught Lucy and Clyde Kissing!" Lori exclaimed.

"And there it is," spat Luann laughing maniacally.

Lucy slammed Lincoln's door and locked it, then turned her back to it and pressed against it, as if that would help. With her arms out to either side, in a vain attempt to hold back the inevitable, she faced her new boyfriend.

"We're doomed," she said sadly.

Luna and her brother walked most of the way to Sam's house in silence. Lincoln didn't want to stress his sister out any more than she already was, and Luna was rehearsing what she would say when facing Sam. Upon arriving, they stopped briefly at the bottom of Sam's porch steps.

"Well, this is it, dude," said Luna turning to her brother. "Whatever happens in there, I just want you to know that I appreciate all the support you've given me."

Lincoln nodded in acknowledgment and watched his sister ascend the stairs. "I'll be out here waiting for you," he told Luna as she approached the door.

Soon, the door opened, and Mrs. Sharp appeared. "Oh, hi, dear," she said warmly. "Sam is expecting you. Come in. She's in her room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sharp," Luna replied. "Is it alright if Lincoln waits outside?"

"Of course honey," the lady said before disappearing into the kitchen.

The young rocker took the stairs slowly but purposefully and approached Sam's door, then knocked apprehensively.

"Sam, it's me, Luna," she said. "May I come in?"

The door slowly opened, and Sam replied, "Yes, please. We need to talk."

Luna could see that Sam was upset and had been crying. The box of tissues on her bed was nearly empty, and her waste-basket was almost full. Sam sat down on her bed and motioned for Luna to sit as well. When Luna took her place, her friend turned to her.

"I don't know where to start," Sam got out under heavy breathing. "this has all gotten me so emotional that I can't think straight."

Luna gulped hard anticipating what Sam may tell her.

"I love you too," Sam said, nearly breaking down into tears. "But it's complicated."

Luna's friend began streaming silent tears. The purple-clad girl drew her friend into a comforting embrace. Her heart was relieved to hear those words, but her feelings quickly turned to concern.

"I don't understand," pleaded Luna, "if we both feel the same way, how is that complicated?"

"B-because, my parents don't know about me," cried Sam. "I haven't come out to them because they are very conservative. I don't want to lose them."

"Oh," said Luna, "now I get it."

Luna broke from Sam to face her head-on. Holding Sam's shoulders, she addressed her eye to eye.

"Do you believe that all thirteen members of my family are the same?" Luna asked. "Of course not. All of us are very different, and our ideas don't always match. The important thing is getting it all out in the open and discussing them, so at least we understand each other, even if we don't agree."

"I know that, Luna," Sam responded. "But it's just so hard, you know? The only reason I ran out the day was that I became so flushed with emotion and stress that I couldn't take it. I was afraid I might say the wrong thing if I spoke at all! So, I panicked and ran. I hope you can forgive me for putting you through that."

"Yeah, I get that, and I forgive you," replied Luna. Then, Luna got an idea. "Hey, what if I help you tell them, dude? It might be easier if I was by your side!" she proposed.

The blonde girl considered Luna's suggestion for a moment. Maybe having somebody by her side would act as a buffer if things got heated.

With a sniffle, Sam agreed. "Alright, then. I'm ready."

Luna stood and pulled her friend upright. "Not yet," she said, wiping her friends face with fresh tissues, making sure not to smudge Sam's makeup. Pleased with her handiwork, Luna finally announce, "Now you're ready!"

The two left Sam's room and headed for the living room. They found her father sitting on the couch, watching the news. He stood long enough to greet luna, "Hey there, Luna, long time no see," he offered.

Before Luna could reply, however, the blonde called out to her mother, "Hey, Mom? Can you come in here for a moment?"

"Sure honey," Mrs. Sharp said, turning off the water filling the sink.

Sam sat on the coffee table in front of the couch, and Luna followed suit. Together they watched as Sam's parent settled onto the sofa with a look of curiosity about them.

"Mom? Dad?" announced Sam a bit hesitantly. "I need to talk to you about something." The girl paused for a moment to catch her breath. "This isn't going to be easy for me to say. My only hope is that you can accept it."

Mr. and Mrs. Sharp looked at each other briefly and raised their eyebrows.

"I-I'm gay, and Luna's asked me to be her g-girlfriend," Sam said almost apologetically before lowering her head and looking at her parents from under her teal-streaked bangs.

"Dang it, Sam!" snapped Mr. Sharp as he leaned forward and reached behind him.

Both of the young girls' eyes went wide, not knowing what to expect. Luna imagined Sam's father slapping his daughter. Sam envisioned getting shot.

Neither of those things happened, however. Mr. Sharp merely pulled out his wallet and handed a five-dollar bill to his wife.

"You cost me a fiver," he said, laughing. "It's about time you two got together, though I thought Sam would be the one to ask."

"WHAT?!" spat Sam standing in rage. "You knew this whole time and never said anything? And you made a bet?"

"Dear, it wasn't that hard to figure out," said Sam's mother. "Your room is covered in posters of girls and girl-bands. We see the way you two look at each other, and that it was just a matter of time."

Sam sat back down, dejectedly. "I don't understand. You guys are always going on about traditional family values and stuff," she said, burying her face in her hands.

"Listen, honey," Sam's father said softly, "we have always taught you to think for yourself. We showed you basic morality and ethics. We inspired you to think with reason and logic, as well as with empathy and compassion. We did this, so you were able to come to conclusions about things yourself, without relying on an outside agenda telling you what to think or do."

Sam looked up at her parents. "So, you're alright with it?" she inquired tenderly.

"Of course, honey," her parent in unison. "We will always love you, and support you, no matter what you do. And we will always be here if you need to talk."

The young blonde sprang from where she sat, into her parent's arms, and with a big sniffle, encased them in hugs.

Luna was about to congratulate Sam on breaching the topic with her parents when the blonde broke from her parent and lept into Luna's arms. Sam pressed her lips against Luna's and began passionately kissing her.

At first, it took Luna by surprise. Sam had always been somewhat reserved. However, Luna soon melted into Sam's embrace and returned her passion.

"Well, that's our cue, honey," said Mr. Sharp to his wife. "How about we leave these two alone for a while and finish those dishes?"

After several minutes the two love-birds parted.

"I love you," grinned Sam.

"I love you too," Luna snickered before remembering that Lincoln was still outside. "But Lincoln is waiting for me. I should go. See you tomorrow at school!"

Sam escorted her new girlfriend to the door and waved goodbye to both of them as they waved back and walked off.

Sam sighed heavily, and then a thought occurred to her. "SCHOOL!" Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as telling her parents, but she grimaced at the thought of having to go through this again.

Eight girls were banging on Lincoln's door, trying to get Lucy to come out and talking excitedly amongst themselves.

"Go away!" yelled Lucy.

"No, really," said Clyde with his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. We have to leave sometime, and you already know they're going to tease us. Just let them get it out of the way."

"But," his new girlfriend refuted, "I can't handle that kind of torment!"

"Then I'll handle it for the both of us," said Clyde narrowing his eyes.

For the first time, the young man had somebody to be brave for, and he wasn't about to let her down. Gently nudging Lucy aside, Clyde unlocked the door and opened it. All eight sister crumpled in a heap at his feet.

"Shame on you wanting to tease your sister," he said. "I expected better of you. It's not like any of you have done any better. Except maybe Lori."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, when was the last time any of you went on a date? Hm?" he said defiantly. "Lucy and I are together now, and that's the way it is."

Clyde offered his hand to the goth. "Let's go watch reruns of Vampires of Melancholia."

Lucy's eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite show. It seemed that Clyde had noticed her before today! Her heart melted as she took his hand and stepped over the heap of estrogen at their feet.

As they exited the room, hand in hand, and made their way to the empty couch, the twisted knot of sisters watched them in awe. Clyde had upped his game. That was for sure.

Once Lucy's siblings had untied themselves from each other, they each slowly crept downstairs, one by one, and stood behind the couch, taking in as much cuteness as possible.

Clyde and Lucy ignored them.

Soon, Luna and Lincoln came strolling through the front door. Nobody needed to ask how it went. Luna was beaming from ear to ear. Luna saw her sister sitting on the sofa, hand in hand with Clyde and immediately went into the gleeful-sister mode. Turning to Lucy, she made the "rock on" sign and exclaimed, "Way to go, bro!"

Later that night, Lincoln stood before his mirror, getting ready before bed.

"Well, Luna, Sam, Lucy, and Clyde are all happy. That makes me happy. Sometimes life doesn't always work out though. But, we all learned a few things over the past few days though that will help when things go wrong. First, never assume anything until you have all the facts. Second, sometimes, you have to take a chance, regardless of how things turn out. At least that way you will have closure. And third, there are a lot of people in this world, and they are not all alike or think the same way. But, that doesn't automatically mean they won't accept you. Most of the time, they will. If they don't, though, it's their loss, not yours."

A/N: Now that you've read the entire story, please leave a review. There will be a new episode soon. It will have a new main plot but will continue the tale involving Lucy.


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